


SG-1 S.O.S.

by RavenWillowDragomir



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-04-23 10:42:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4873726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenWillowDragomir/pseuds/RavenWillowDragomir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team gets thrown through to a prison world and one of the team is gravely injured.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Daniel tumbled through the stargate, down a short flight of stone stairs, and rolled to a stop next to his friends. They sat up as one to see the wormhole vanish.

“Daniel?” Colonel Jack O'Neill was using his angry voice. After all, the archaeologist had convinced General Hammond to send them to P3X-544 despite intelligence from the Tok'ra that it was a Goa’uld inhabited planet. Mere seconds after stepping through the stargate they had been zatted by a group of Jaffa, and only woke as they were being tossed through to another world.

“Jack,” he replied, fixing his glasses on his nose and peering around. From the shadows loomed the outlines of several bulky men as they drew nearer. From the looks of it they appeared to be somewhere underground, in a rockier and more advanced version of Hadante, the prison world they had once been thrown into. Slowly they got to their feet, raising their guns at the approaching people. As soon as Major Samantha Carter rose, however, she was seized.

“Whoa!” Jack yelled, aiming his gun at the enormous man who held the Major in a choke hold.

“We’re peaceful travelers,” Daniel raised his hands and spoke quietly.

“We mean you no harm,” Teal’c said lowly. The man holding Carter took a few steps backwards, dragging her with him. His men gathered around the pair and surrounded SG-1, weapons raised. Sam was barely managing to draw breath and had to stand on her tiptoes to get oxygen. Still, she was able to kick him as hard as she could in the groin. He dropped her with a grunt and slammed a fist into her head, knocking her to the ground. His men converged and it became a mess of flying limbs as they kicked and hit at her. Jack and the others made to move to her aid but their captors armed their staff weapons threateningly.

“Drop your weapons,” the leader said slowly, glancing down to the circle of men Carter had disappeared under. “Or we kill the woman.” Slowly they lowered their weapons and raised their hands.

“Let the Major go,” The Colonel’s eyes flashed angrily.

“Fligip!” The leader cried, and his men aimed their zats at Jack, Daniel, and Teal’c, and fired. The electric blue light enveloped their bodies and dissipated, leaving them to fall to the ground unconscious.

                                                                    *

Jack woke up a few hours later to Daniel and Teal’c leaning over him.

“Gah!” He rubbed the back of his head and sat up slowly, the world spinning. They were in a large open cell, with cave walls and a dirt floor. Beyond the bars a long hallway stretched out to both sides. One ended in a solid rock wall, the other a door.

“I’m really tired of getting zatted on every god damn planet we visit.” He stood with assistance from Teal’c.

“You must rest O’Neill, you hit your head when we were attacked.” He shrugged them off and walked over to the bars, peering out into the hallway.

“They weren’t Jaffa, but they sure had Goa’uld weapons,” he turned to his friends. “What’s that all about?” The Jaffa raised an eyebrow.

“I believe this to be a Goa’uld prison planet, similar to the one we rescued the Tok’ra Jacob from. Perhaps a Goa’uld supplies weapons to these people,” he speculated.

“Speaking of Jacob, where’s Carter?” He turned to scan the cell but found no sign of her. Daniel rubbed his face.

“Last I saw they had her pretty good. Then they knocked us out and we woke up here, but I don’t think she’s in any of the other cells. I called her name.” The colonel slammed a fist against the metal bars and turned to pace the perimeter of the room, checking for holes in the security or integrity of their cage.

“They took our weapons and our packs. They’re smart,” he muttered. After a few minutes of silence he sat down against the solid wall and slid down until he was lying on his back. “Get some rest kids, we’ll regroup in a few.” Daniel and Teal’c exchanged a look.

“Jack, what about Sam?” Their commanding officer pulled his ball cap down over his eyes.

“We can’t do anything until they bring her back to us, and we aren’t going anywhere until that happens. Get some rest. That’s an order,” he muttered.

Daniel soon joined Jack by the wall but Teal’c sat near the door, closed his eyes and entered a state of kel-no-rem. After a while the sound of three men’s deep breathing was all that could be heard over the faint yet distinct screams of a woman in the distance.

                                                                *

“Colonel O’Neill!” Teal’c backed slowly away from the door and shook his commanding officer awake. He grunted and sat up quickly, his cap falling to the ground. When he came to his senses he hit Daniel on the chest, rousing him as well. Several guards were positioned outside the cell, staff weapons and zat guns aimed at them.

“Remain against the far wall and do not move,” boomed the familiar voice of their leader. The men did as they were told. The door swung open, seemingly of it’s own accord, and two men dragged Carter into the cell and dropped her face down on the ground a few feet away before retreating. The door swung shut and the entourage departed. Daniel waited until they were out of sight and crawled quickly over to her, resting his fingers against her neck before looking up at Jack.

“She’s breathing, but not easily.” The rest of her team gathered around and Daniel pulled her head into his lap, turning her over.

“Carter,” Jack whispered, gently slapping at her neck, the only exposed skin that wasn’t bruised and bleeding. Her eyelashes fluttered and he caught a glimpse of that piercing blue gaze. “Where does it hurt?” Her lips moved a few times without noise before she managed to speak.

"Everywhere, sir," she muttered, taking in rasping breaths.

"Sam I'm gonna help you pull this shirt off,” Daniel said. “I think you’ve got flail ribs that could puncture your lungs if they haven’t already. We need to bind them.” He rested a hand at the hem of her shirt and felt her shudder.

“No,” she said weakly.

“Carter I can’t help you if I can’t see what I’m doing,” Jack growled. “That’s an order, Major.” Daniel started to pull it up but stopped when she sucked in a quick breath.

“I believe her shoulder to be dislocated, O’Neill,” Teal’c nodded to her right shoulder. “It will be extremely painful to move.” The officer swore loudly.

“Teal’c, cut it off. Jackson, take off your jacket and put it under her head. I need you mobile.” The Jaffa did as instructed, taking the collar of her shirt and ripping it, careful not to jostle her.

“I believe this to be the reason for Major Carter’s hesitation,” he said calmly, nodding to her abdomen. Much of her torso was bruised, including darker indentations over her ribs. But there were also clear handprint bruises and rope burns around her waist and just visible under her bra.

“Good god,” Daniel muttered, raising her uninjured arm gently to reveal similar rope burns on her wrists. The tallest of the men gave him a look and nodded to Carter’s open eyes, raising an eyebrow.

“Teal’c, think you can use her shirt to secure her ribs?” The Colonel was trying hard not to look at the bruises and rope burns as he felt anger bubble up inside him. He had to remain calm until Sam was unconscious, which he prayed would be soon. She was obviously in a lot of pain.

“I have seen Doctor Fraiser do so many times, Colonel O’Neill,” he replied. He tore the sleeves off her shirt and positioned the midsection of the material around her ribcage. “This will undoubtedly hurt, Major Carter,” he said. “I must pull tightly on your broken ribs to secure them.” She ground her teeth and gave him a slight nod. He pulled the material together as quickly as he could and tied a firm knot at the front. She hissed with pain but bit her lip to refrain from screaming.

“What’s next, Jackson?” He asked.

“Sam’s the one who knows medicine,” he responded. Jack gave him a look. “Uh, I guess we should reset her shoulder, but it’ll hurt like hell without drugs.” O’Neill nodded and came around to look down at the Major.

“Carter, I’m going to pull you up into a sitting position so Teal’c can pop your shoulder back in.” He held up his hands. “I’m going to put my hand on your waist to pull you up. You’re a little bruised so it might hurt, I’m sorry.” He waited until she had nodded to slowly wrap an arm around her waist and lift her up. The other two exchanged a look. They had never known their commanding officer to be so gentle both in verbally and physically. He was cradling her to him like you would a small child.

Sam rested her head against the crook of the Colonel’s neck as she felt Teal’c’s strong hands skim her shoulder to find the right position. One landed on her shoulder blade and the other gripped her upper arm. Without warning he twisted and pushed her arm back into place. As he had hoped, Carter screamed but quickly passed out in Jack’s arms.

“Daniel, how’s her back looking?” He asked, repositioning her head on his shoulder so she could breathe more easily.

“She’s got lacerations on her back that appear to be made by some type of scourge,” he replied.

“Scourge?”

“A whip. But that’s not the weirdest thing…” he cringed.

“Spit it out, Jackson!” He barked.

“She has...Goa’uld symbols carved across her back.” Teal’c frowned and moved around to examine her as well.

“He is correct, O’Neill,” the Jaffa raised an eyebrow. “I believe it is meant for us.”

“Well, what does it mean?” He said impatiently.

“Those who do not provide use shall perish, death is not an escape.” They all stared at each other for a few minutes before rousing themselves.

“Teal’c, lay your jacket under Sam so when she lies down she won’t get more dirt in those wounds. Daniel, come around here and take my spot holding her up. Make sure she’s able to breathe okay until we can put her down.” They immediately did as they were told. It was very rare for their leader to show how much he really knew about the medical field and be so serious about it at the same time. There was a slight scuffle and Carter nearly fell as Jack moved out from under her, but the archeologist managed to catch her.

“And why exactly can’t we put her down?” He asked, watching O’Neill stand and walk towards the bars.

“We need water or something to clean the dirt out of those cuts or she’ll get an infection.”

“Ah,” he nodded, wincing. “And how do you plan to get water?” His question was answered when the leader of SG-1 started rattling the bars, banging his feet against them and shouting his head off.

“Aye, get in here you sons of bitches!” As if summoned, several guards pushed through the door at the end of the hall and came marching down the hallway.

“Jack…”

“Shut up, Daniel,” he muttered before raising his voice. “Your little message? The one you cut into her back?” He yelled, trying to contain his fury. “Well we can’t provide without food and water. You get that? We need water.” He pressed his face into the bars, gripping one in each hand. One of the guards jammed the butt of a staff weapon into his face, sending Jack staggering several steps backwards.

“Gahd,” he spat, pinching his bleeding nose with one hand and resting the other against the cave wall. “I’ll take that as a no.”

Despite appearances, the guards returned quickly carrying bottles of water, a loaf of bread, and an old pot containing some type of broth. Jack was passed out sitting against the wall by the time they came, so Teal’c received the supplies, glaring at the men all the way back down the hallway.

“O’Neill,” he shook the shoulder of his unconscious friend, who snorted, muttered “Sam” and opened his eyes.

“Aye, now we’re getting somewhere,” he noted the supplied and made to stand. The world spun around and he sunk back to his knees.

“You are in need of assistance, O’Neill,” the Jaffa stated calmly, offering a hand.

“I’m fine,” he growled. Teal’c raised an eyebrow.

“You can not assist Major Carter from your current position, Colonel O’Neill, and you will pass out again if you attempt to rise without aide.” The leader rolled his eyes but took his arm anyway, getting to his feet with a groan. Teal’c helped him walk the short few steps over to where Daniel was still supporting Carter. He sat down behind her and Teal’c handed him a bottle of water.

“Hm…” He tore a strip of material off the ankle of his pants and carefully wetted it. He started to clean the dirt out of the Goa’uld symbols as gently as he could.

“Uh Jack, I think the lash wounds are a little more urgent,” Daniel said cautiously, adjusting his position slightly with a groan. Carter wasn’t particularly heavy, but supporting any adult weight for that long was exhausting.

“Hey Daniel, don’t ya think she would rather have those scars then freaking Goa’uld carved into her back?”

“Fair point.”

“O’Neill, it seems prudent that you care for your own wounds in order to make a speedy recovery.” The third soldier was still standing behind their commanding officer. “I can assist Major Carter.”

“Actually Teal’c, why don’t you trade spots with me,” Daniel said. He inclined his head and stepped around to help him. He supported the woman’s weight until the archaeologist had risen, and then sat down in his place.

“Her breathing is erratic,” he said calmly.

“Yeah I noticed that too,” Daniel stood, stretching, and fixed his glasses as he often did when upset. “As far as I can tell she’s having a nightmare.” Teal’c raised a brow.

“How do you know, Daniel Jackson?”

“Uh, well we’re often both still at the base at night, and sometimes I help her and vice versa. I walked in on her once, passed out on her table,” he nodded to her unconscious form. “Breathing like that and sort of...twitching. She woke up crying and kicked me out.” He shrugged and walked over to the bars. Jack continued to clean her back until he was satisfied.

“Alright Teal’c, lay her down carefully on the jacket.” He scooted out of the way as they lowered the blonde down. The Colonel fixed the jacket-made-pillow under her head and took off his own, laying it gently over her like a blanket.

“Her face is in need of care, O’Neill,” the Jaffa pointed out, nodding to the deep boot-tip shaped cut along her cheekbone.

“I want to let her sleep as long as we can,” he replied, tossing the bloody rags he had used away. Wordlessly Daniel tore a strip from his own pants and handed it to Jack.

“If she wakes up and sees you like that she’ll freak out and try to fix you up herself,” he said before the leader could protest. Jack rolled his eyes but washed the blood off his face.

“Your nose is broken,” Daniel said calmly, sitting down next to the small pile of supplies and resting his back against the bars.

“S’not a bad break,” he replied, rubbing at the bump on the back of his head. He had fallen pretty badly when they were zatted, but he found no blood, which was a good sign. “Probably just a little concussion,” he murmured. “Am I good?” He turned to Jackson, who took the rag and scrubbed the remaining blood away before he could protest.

“Easy, easy,” he yelped, covering his now raw-skinned face. Daniel shrugged in reply and picked up the loaf of bread, splitting it into three.

“What about Sa-Carter?” Daniel tossed each of them a third of the bread.

“She can’t eat solids until we know for sure that she doesn’t have any internal bleeding. It could do more damage than good. We need to keep our strength up if we’re going to get out of here while supporting her.” It seemed a good enough answer as any, and soon all three of them were eating in silence.

“You kids get some sleep,” Jack said.

“Jack, you’re injured, you need sleep more than us. Let one of us watch Carter.”

“Get some sleep. That’s an order,” he repeated.

“No, Jack, you get some sleep. I’ll wake you up the minute she stirs. That’s an order,” Daniel shot back.

“You don’t give me orders.”

“Doctor’s orders, Jack. We can’t get out of here without you and you’re not 100 percent. Sam needs you,” he added. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, until finally the Colonel gave both of them a glare.

“You wake me up if she so much as breathes differently, you hear?” They nodded in consent as he slowly lowered himself to the ground a few feet from Sam, rested his head on his elbow, and closed his eyes. Despite his attempts to stay awake, soon he had drifted off into a restless sleep. Teal’c moved over to sit next to Daniel.

“You think she’ll be okay?” He asked.

“I believe Major Carter to be strong of heart, Daniel Jackson,” he replied truthfully. “And I believe if we make it out of here she will make a full recovery.” Seemingly satisfied with that answer, silence fell.

Jack dreamed of Sam floating before him, reaching an arm out to touch his face. As soon as her fingers brushed his cheek she fell to the ground, a trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth. Her lips formed a surprised ‘o’ as he moved to help her she flinched away from his touch. “I don’t want to hurt you!” He whispered, but she couldn’t hear him. He tried to touch her arm and her skin burned beneath his touch. He dropped to his knees as she scooted away from him, eyes wide and terrified. “I want to help you..”

                                                                    *

“Ja...Jack…” He sat up quickly and crawled over to Sam, who was half awake and moaning his name. Not his rank, not even his last name, but his first name. She was definitely out of it.

“Hey, don’t try to move just yet.” He carefully slid her head onto his lap and rested a hand against her forehead. “You’re running a fever.” He glanced up at Daniel, who was rummaging through their supplies.

“Jack,” he said, tossing him a bottle of water.

“Okay Carter,” he soothed, opening the bottle. “I need you to drink a bit, flush your systems okay.” He lifted the water to her lips. Some of it dribbled down her chin, but she managed to swallow. “That’s good. How are you feeling?” She pulled at the jacket that covered her.

“Hot,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, there’s a lot of dust in here and you’ve got some open wounds. I don’t want you to get an infection.” She nodded slowly and relaxed a little bit as he stroked her hair calmingly.

“Your nose, sir,” she looked up at him.

“My nose is fine, Carter. Did we miss anything?”

“Sir?”

“When we were fixing you up. We got your ribs and relocated your shoulder. I cleaned most of the dirt out of the wounds in your back and put you in between two jackets. I didn’t want to move your injured arm into sleeves and also didn’t want you to wake up thinking you were tied up again.”

“S’very thoughtful, sir.” She winced. “I can’t really discern where the pain is...it’s more everywhere.”

“What happened?”

“I passed out from a particularly bad kick to the head just after they knocked you guys out,” she started to explain. Teal’c and Daniel had come closer to listen.

“I wish to check on your wounds,” Teal’c said.

“Go ahead,” she replied, looking up to meet Jack’s gaze. Even with a bloody cheek, a black eyes and dark bruising along her jawline she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The Jaffa nodded and removed the jacket, tenderly pressing and probing at the extensive bruising that had darkened overnight. “I woke up face down on a stone counter. I guess they thought that I would be totally unconscious because I wasn’t restrained. I pretended to be so I could hear their conversation, but they didn’t say much. They had taken my gear of course, which they found interesting, and my shirt so they could ‘send a message to my friends.’ Obviously when I heard that I wasn’t about to just sit there and take it. When Ashrok started carving the message into my back...I defended myself.”

“Ashrok?” Jack asked, digging his nails into his leg to keep from exploding.

“He was second to Heten, the leader.”

“Ashrok was?” Daniel was holding her uninjured arm gently and examining the rope burns. If she could have scratched her neck awkwardly, she would have.

“I killed him, stabbed him in the throat with the knife. Heten wasn’t all that pleased with me for that.” The leader helped lift her head and gave her another few sips of water before she continued. “Sentenced me to kashrak taki.”

“Fifty lashes,” Daniel muttered in answer to O’Neill’s confused look.

“They tied me to a pole.” She hissed as Teal’c’s fingers skimmed a particularly dark hand bruise.

“I am sorry, Major Carter, I am merely attempting to locate any places which you could be bleeding internally.” She nodded.

“Go on, Sam,” Daniel urged, squeezing her hand comfortingly.

“That’s it. I passed out at around twenty lashes. By the feel of it, they must have finished the message after I was unconscious.” It seemed to have taken all her energy just to talk for that short amount of time. Sweat was beading on her forehead and Daniel could feel her trembling.

“Jack she’s burning up,” he pointed out, reaching out a hand to feel her forehead. She sighed at the cold touch of his hand and he moved closer to her head. “That feel good?” She nodded slowly and he moved  to press the back of his hand against her burning hot cheek. She flinched and he paused.“Sam..” he said slowly. “Sure you’re telling us the full story?” She nodded again, her eyes only half open and he exchanged a look with Jack.

“Try to get some rest now, Carter,” Jack said soothingly. Daniel tore another strip from his pant leg, soaked it, and laid it across Sam’s forehead. The Colonel combed his fingers through her short blonde hair, hoping to lull her to sleep quickly. Just as she was falling asleep her fingers slipped from Daniel’s grasp and she reached up. Jack’s hand in her hair hesitated for a second before taking her small hand in his. Her whole body seemed to relax and soon her breathing slowed to that of someone sleeping peacefully.

“Teal’c?”

“There is no way for me to be certain, O’Neill. She is the most seasoned in the medical field, and the majority of my knowledge is in dealing with staff weapon blasts,” he said curtly. “The bruising could simply be external from the blows dealt to her or it might indicate more extensive damage.”

“Jack, I’m worried about these rope burns, which you’d expect wouldn’t be that problematic,” Daniel cut in. He nodded to the wrist of the hand that Jack still held. “She must have struggled a lot for the ropes to dig this deep.” His commanding officer raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, that happens when you’re being flogged, Daniel,” he replied condescendingly.

“I think these ropes were either very old or very dirty. I thoroughly cleaned the wounds and yet they still look like they’re getting infected.” He sighed and looked at his watch. “We’re also five hours overdo for radio transmission.”

“You think the rescue team will get sent here and captured too?” Jack asked.

“It’ll be a hell of a lot harder to get out of here if the SGC still thinks we’re on P3X-544. The GDO transmitter was still in my pack when we got sent through, but we have no way of knowing what these people have done with our equipment. If we don’t have the GDO…” Jack sighed.

“I know, I know. We won’t be able to establish a secure wormhole back to Earth. Guess we’re gonna have to hope that whoever sent us through rethinks capturing a whole bunch of Tau’ri when more come.” He motioned for Teal’c to pass him his cap, which the Jaffa did. The leader stretched his back, rolled his head around, and settled into his position with Carter’s head in his lap, her abnormally hot hand still clutched comfortingly in his.

                                                               *

“General Hammond, sir,” Dr. Fraiser wheeled a laptop cart into the debriefing room and turned it on. Across the screen there were four horizontal boxes, each of them with heart rate monitors and other vital signs being displayed.

“Go ahead, doctor,” he approached and looked over her shoulder at the screen.

“I’ve been monitoring SG-1’s vital signs through the new Goa’uld chips we’ve implanted. Only minutes after arriving on the alien world the signals were disrupted for a few seconds.” She drew up previous images from several hours earlier, showing blank vital readings on all of them at the same time. “Now as far as I know of sir, the only thing that can disrupt the transmission is the time it takes traveling between worlds.”

“Are you suggesting that they went back through the stargate to a different planet?”

“Not willingly, sir.” She drew up more vitals. “Only a few minutes after I started getting readings again, Colonel O’Neill, Teal’c, And Dr. Jackson’s heart rates all sped up for a few seconds and they started showing unconscious brain waves.” She indicated the time with her finger. “From previous experience, I believe they were zatted, sir. Colonel O’Neill’s vitals also spiked temporarily a few hours ago, but they’ve stabilized.” He ran a hand over his glistening bald spot.

“What of Major Carter?”

“Her vitals were a bit different sir. They were quite erratic for several hours, including some amounts of time when she was unconscious.” She typed a bit more and returned to the present vital signs, pointing at hers. “Temperature is elevated, pulse is weak and unusual breathing. I believe she was tortured, sir, and the fever could be a sign of early infection.” He rested a hand on Janet’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” The doctor shook her head and set her jaw fiercely.

“She’s tough. They all are, for that matter.” Samantha was Janet’s close friend and godmother to her daughter.

“I’m sending a M.A.L.P. to do further exploration of the surrounding. If they were only there for a few minutes they couldn’t have gotten far. It’s possible that we can make contact with whoever sent them through the gate.” She looked up at him.

“And if we can’t, sir?”

“Then I’ll send in SG-13, have them gas the area and go in in HAZMAT suits,” he said firmly. She nodded.

“I’ll continue to monitor their vitals and notify you if I see any changes.” He nodded.

“Dismissed, doctor.”

       

                                                                    *

“S….” Carter mumbled incoherently, groaning. Jack felt her fingers twitching impatiently in his grasp, but she was not awake. He could see her eyes moving rapidly under her eyelids, partial words forming on her lips but not fully spoken. The Colonel rested his free hand against her forehead and shot a look over to Daniel.

“She’s still burning up.” Daniel grabbed the pot of broth and scooted over to rouse her.

“Sam, wake up.” Her eyes flew open and before he had a chance to react, she had slugged him in the face, knocking him backwards.

“Daniel!” She yelped, raising her head off the Colonel’s lap to go to his aide. Jack carefully pulled her back down.

“S’fine,” he muttered, picking up his fallen glasses and checking to make sure his jaw was intact. He would definitely have a bruise. “I’d forgotten that you do that.” The art of waking up the Major had always been a tricky business. If she was simply sleeping, she would wake easily at the sound of footsteps, but when she was unconscious she often rose very violently.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, coughing violently into her hands. When she pulled away, there were drops of blood on her fingers.

“Great,” he muttered. “Carter, you think you can drink some broth?” She nodded slowly and he scooped some up in his hand and held it up to her lips. She drank quickly, trying not to waste it, and washed it down with a gulp of water.

“How are you feeling?” Daniel asked kindly, taking her arm and tying thick strips of his pants around both of her injured wrists, careful not to jostle the arm that had been dislocated. If they continued dressing her wounds this way, soon all of them would be wearing shorts.

“Like hell,” she answered truthfully, giving him a small smile. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you for so long, sir,” she added. “I’ll sit up and give you a chance to rest your legs.” He was about to protest when Daniel cut in.

“That way I can check the wounds on her back.” She sat up slowly, groaning, and the Colonel slid out from underneath her head.

“Yowza,” he said, standing up and nearly losing his balance. Carter rolled her head around her shoulders, trying to stretch. Jack could see her delicate spine moving under her bruised back as she did so.

“Daniel, would you take my right hand?” Her fingers opened.

“Your arm is hurt,” he said.

“The sooner I start using it the better,” she insisted. He sighed and took her hand. “Good. Raise my arm so it’s parallel with my shoulder.” He did so, wincing at the pained expression on her face.

“It’s getting better,” she said.

“Normally you would be in a sling for a week,” he pointed out.

“I can’t fight in a sling.”

“You can’t fight with broken ribs, lacerations, a fever and growing infection.” She grimaced.

“I might have to. Now let go of my hand.” He did so, and her arm remained in the same place before she slowly lowered it back down to her side. “I’ll just keep using it and it’ll go away.” She hoped her companions knew so little about medicine that they would believe that.

Sam took another gulp of water and ran the fingers of her right arm through her hair, despite the protest of her muscles and bones.

“Okay Carter, how are the ribs feeling?”

“They feel sore and achy but with the binding the pain is duller instead of sharp.” He stared at her blankly. “That’s good, it means it’s most likely the pain of broken bones and not the pain of bones tearing at internal organs.”

“You did cough up blood.” She sipped the water.

“Well it’s likely that the kicking damaged something, but my breathing seems okay which means it wasn’t a lung. With any luck my body will repair itself.”

“And without luck?”

“I’ll slowly bleed out into my stomach and or chest cavity and eventually die.” So much for sugar coating it. Jack took the water from her and suddenly her back was burning as he cleaned the wounds again.

“I’m sorry Carter, but you’ve already got an infection setting in on those wrists, I don’t need fifty more infected wounds.” She nodded and sighed with relief as he finished. “Do you want to put one of these jackets on?” He motioned to the three jackets. One as a pillow, one as a sheet, and one as her blanket.

“Do you think it’ll make the fever worse for me to be warm?” She eyed the jacket. “They are built for insulation.”

“Is there anything we can really do for your fever other than keep you cold?”

“There are medicines in our packs.” She winced as she stretched her legs and Daniel watched her.

“Are your legs hurt?”

“No.”

“You sure?” She glared at him and drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them.

“Just sore.”

“Why sore?” He pressed. She would have slapped him had he not been conveniently out of range. All she wanted to do was lie back down and go to sleep, but she needed to remain conscious. They had to formulate a plan.

“I’ve got an idea.” The colonel was using a rag to gently wet her forehead and cheeks. It felt wonderful. “They’re going to know by our medical chips that we went back through the wormhole. They’ll figure out where the locals sent us, open a wormhole and try to contact us by radio.” Daniel nodded.

“But the guys here have our stuff.”

“It was all in the room they took me to. If one of us can get in there and grab a radio without them seeing, then we’ll be able to call for backup.” She paused and Jack raised the water to her lips. She drank gratefully, fully aware that she was slowly drinking them dry. “Best way is to ask to speak to their leader.”

“Okay, I’ll go,” Jack stood and started banging on the bars. “Get in here!”

“Jack, I should go,” Daniel said. “Getting angry and fighting them won’t help us. I should go.” The guards approached.

“We wish to speak to your leader.” The question of who was to go was answered when they forced them back against the wall.

“Woman, come.”

“Hell no,” Jack yelled, but he didn’t have a choice. They grabbed each of her arms and dragged her out of the cage and then they were gone. Jack swore.

Sam was deposited on her knees in front of Heten. To her right  their equipment was piled against the wall. She could see a radio, barely three feet from her. If only she could get there…

“Your people have read my message,” he nodded to the fact that she wasn’t wearing a shirt. She was very glad women on Earth had developed bras, unlike many of the cultures they had encountered.

“Yes.” She glanced at the pile again and sighed. She could see only one way of getting over there. He stepped closer.

“And what did they say.” She raised her chin defiantly.

“Screw you.” As she had hoped, his fist collided with her face, knocking her sideways. He had a strong punch, and for once she was glad. It had thrown her practically on top of the supplies. Under the pretense of trying to push back to her knees and failing, she slipped the radio into one of her bulky fatigue pockets. If only the medicine wasn’t deep inside the bags...She used her arms, trembling, to get back on her hands and knees. She could taste the metallic tang of blood and knew her lip was bleeding. He grabbed her hair and dragged her back to the center of the room, causing her to whimper he pulled her to her feet by her neck. She struggled as her toes left the ground and her hands clawed at his arm. Suddenly he set her down, the jarring drop nearly causing her to fall. She didn’t.

“My people are weak. They need food, their heads aren’t working correctly.” Heten scowled but nodded to his guards. They grabbed her arms and dragged her back to the cell, depositing her on the floor. One of them shoved more loaves of bread and two more bottles of water through the bars.

“You’re bleeding.” She waited for the guards to disappear before pulling the radio out of her pocket.

“Couldn’t think of any other way to get it so I made him angry.” She shrugged and spat a mouthful of blood into the dirt, closing her eyes. “Told him that you couldn’t consider his offer with your heads fuzzy from lack of food.” She turned the radio on and handed it to the Colonel, who swiftly hid it under one of the jackets.

“Offer?”

“I think the message in my back is meant to mean that you can join him or die.” He was cleaning the corner of her mouth with a rag. It felt wonderfully cool against her burning flesh.

“It won’t come to that,” he said firmly, checking her back. “Every time you move you reopen more of these wounds,” he muttered. She shrugged. That cracked open more of the wounds, and he glowered, laying her down gently on the jacket. “Get some sleep, Sam,” he whispered.

                                                                  *

Jack woke last. The others were bent over Sam, whose breathing was erratic even from this distance. He crawled over to her side and Daniel shook his head grimly.

“Infection is setting in, Jack. She needs help.” at that moment her eyes opened and she was coughing, her lips stained red. She was choking on her own blood.

“Roll her over,” he said desperately. They moved her onto her left side and the blood stained the jacket and dirt beneath her as it dribbled from her mouth. It took a while for her body to stop heaving, and then she was shaking. She looked so, so small.

“Sir, if I don’t make it...”

“You’re gonna make it, Carter,” he said firmly, helping her sit up. He could feel the heat of her body radiating off her.

“But if I don’t, sir,”

“You will!” He said forcefully.

“JACK.” The shock of hearing his name forced him to look at her. And then she was kissing him, her chapped lips pressed firmly against his. He could taste her blood in his mouth, the salty tang of sweat and blood and her fingernails digging into the back of his neck like she couldn’t get enough of him. His hand tangled in her hand and he pressed her closer, closer, until finally they had to break apart for air lest they fall unconscious. Her face centimeters from his, hot breath on his neck. “Thought you should..know.” And then she slumped against his chest, and he could see two startled sets of eyes on his as she slowly slipped down his chest.

“I’m really disappointed in you, Jack,” Daniel muttered, sighing.

“What?” Out of all people to disapprove, the sappy romantic archaeologist was not high on the list.

“I bet Teal’c fifty bucks that you would make the first move. He said Carter. Thanks a lot,” he said sourly, finishing one of the bottles of water.

Well, that certainly wasn’t what he expected.

“How did you..”

“Oh come on, I’ve seen the way you look at her. When she’s injured, you won’t leave her side even for a second, even when there are others. At first I thought you just didn’t like me. And you’d rather die with her than leave her behind alone.” He shrugged. “And the way she laughs at all your jokes, even when they’re horrible. Seriously Jack, you aren’t that funny. And she refuses to go fishing with you alone because she’s worried she’ll do something stupid and you’ll report her and she’ll be off the team.” His mouth was so very dry.

“This stays here until….things get figured out.” He glanced at Carter, who was now half lying in his lap. “Because we will make it out of here.” Daniel looked at her as well.

“We have to.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is short, I figured a short chapter was better than no chapter! I promise I'll start writing faster, I've just been busy with school. Please Read and Review!

CHAPTER 2

      *

Carter woke up. Her back was resting against something warm and she was laying on her side. After a few panicked seconds where she fought natural instincts to fight, she realized that the warmth was Jack. The air was colder than before, though perhaps that was just the fever talking. Everything seemed to be blurring at the edges. Daniel, curled up a few feet away. Teal’c, asleep with his back against the stone wall of their prison.

“Carter?”

“I’m...awake.” He sat up and rolled her gently onto her back.

“How you feelin?”

“Not...so good.” She felt like she was standing in the firey pits of hell. She felt the pain of Goa’uld torture devices, of staff blast wounds and bullets. Of course, she wasn’t going to tell him that.

“Think you can sit up?”

“I don’t...think so, sir,” she said apologetically. Her vision was already blurred, her head pounding. He nodded, though she could see the fear growing in his eyes. Sam wished she could assure him that everything was going to be alright, but she would be lying. “No news?” He shook his head solemnly.

“They’ll contact us soon. Hammond won’t abandon us.”

“Unless...we’re in too deep, sir. He won’t risk lives for us. He shouldn’t.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the optimistic one?” He scowled.

“Having...a bit of trouble seeing the bright side of...all this, sir,” she admitted, tilting her head to rest her cheek against the cold floor.

“I know, Carter,” he sighed and stroked a hand over her hair almost automatically, fixing his cap on his head. She coughed weakly a few times and closed her eyes.

“It’s...not a very pretty place to die.”

“You’re not gonna die,” he growled.

“S’not something I get to chose.”

“Course it is, Carter. Willpower. You aren’t gonna die, ‘cause I’m not gonna let you.” He glanced at the radio then at her. “Have we got a Tok'ra homeworld address?”

“I don’t...remember.” She could see that the news disturbed him.

“Don’t worry about it. Get some rest.” Sam didn’t even have the willpower to reply, because the warmth of his palm against her forehead was enough to send her off to sleep.

                                                                  *

When he was sure Carter was sound asleep, Jack rose to his feet. Teal’c opened his eyes immediately and stared up at him, arching an eyebrow.

“O'neill.”

“Yeah yeah, save it for later big guy,” he muttered, stepping carefully over Sam and Daniel to the bars.

“I do not believe it wise to provoke the enemy.”

“Carter’s dying, I’m not gonna sit on my ass and watch it happen.”

“I do not believe your death will help Major Carter’s recovery.”

“You don’t believe a lot of things,” Jack muttered, peering down the empty hallway.

“Do you love her?” The Colonel turned.

“What?”

“Major Carter.”

“It’s not important.” Teal’c remained silent, but from the look on his face Jack knew he wanted to say something more. “You think you could break this door?”

“It would take time, O’neill, and the disturbance would undoubtedly notify the guards of our intended escape.”

“I’ve got a better idea.”

“O’neill--” Jack started banging on the bars as loudly as he could. Daniel jumped and scrambled to his feet before realizing what was going on. He fixed his glasses and glanced down at Sam, who seemed to be sleeping through the noise.

“JACK WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU--” he stopped short when the door at the far end banged open and three men stalked down the hall.

“Take me to the boss.”

“The woman--”

“Is unconscious. And I’m sure your boss wouldn’t be happy if he didn’t hear what I’ve got to say.” They glared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

“Stand back.” Daniel, Teal’c and Jack backed a few steps away as the tallest guard opened the door. Behind his back, Jack’s hand was moving. “Come with--” the guard was cut off when Teal’c threw himself forward and punched him square in the jaw. The other guards reacted quickly, but not quickly enough. In a surprising show of strength Daniel charged forwards and knocked both men to the ground.

The fight didn’t last long. They had the element of surprise on their hands, and they had something worth fighting for. Teal’c knocked his opponent unconscious against the floor and Daniel wrestled the zat from the second guard’s hands. The third hit Daniel so hard across the face that he dropped the weapon, but Jack quickly picked it up and fired. In a matter of seconds all three guards were unconscious.

“Search them,” Jack instructed, jogging back into the cell to retrieve his second in command. She had been roused by the noise, but was unable to move. “Hey, Carter.” He knelt down next to her.

“Sir?”

“We’re gonna get you out of here.”

“Where are we...going to go?”

“Home, if we can.”

“There are...too many of them. Won’t...be able to get the gear.”

“We’ve got weapons now.”

“Please...be careful, sir.”

“Don’t worry.” He glanced towards the hall. “This is gonna hurt no matter how I do it, Carter. Teal’c is gonna carry you.” She nodded slowly, but he could see her lip trembling. “Teal’c.” The Jaffa stooped and scooped Major Carter up in his arms. She cried out but promptly fell silent when she passed out again.

“We may not have time to reacquire our weapons, O’neill,” Teal’c said, his fingers on Sam’s pulse.

“First we find the stargate, we’ll radio Hammond and meet a team on a planet. Once we’ve got Carter home these sons of bitches are in for a hell of a surprise.”

“I do not believe General Hammond will condone such a mission.”

“He will. Let’s move.” The Colonel took off down the hallway, his footsteps echoing loudly in the empty space. Teal’c followed and Daniel took up the rear. The next hallway was empty, but the one after that they encountered two more of the enemy soldiers. The Colonel just barely managed to shove the others behind the wall before the guards responded with staff blasts. Jack swore loudly as a blast singed the leg of his pants and his skin underneath.

“Son of a bitch!” Teal’c quickly zatted both men, and they carried on.

Almost an hour later the three men ducked into an empty room and shut the door.

“It’s a maze.”

“It’s a building. There’s a way out,” Jack said frustratedly.

“Maybe not one that we can get through.”

“Shut up, Daniel.”

“Well what’s your plan? We can’t just keep wandering around the halls until we find a way out.”

“Why not?”

“Because this” he motioned to Sam who was still slung over Teal’c’s shoulder “is not good for her. The pressure on her ribs is going to suffocate her.”

“She’s going to die soon if we don’t get her out.”

“How is her dying more quickly going to help?”

“Well have you got a better idea?” Jack hissed. The archaeologist shut his mouth. “That’s what I thought.”

“Daniel Jackson is correct, O’neill.”

“Ah hell, not you too.”

“We have seen no windows nor any sign of an exit. It is possible that the only mode of entry is through Goa’uld technology.”

“Transporter rings?”

“Indeed.”

“That would mean…” He looked to Daniel.

“For god’s sake, Jack, I’m an archaeologists not an architect. I can’t tell if we’re underground any better than you can.” The Colonel gritted his teeth.

“If it is rings, they’ve got to be in that main room with our gear.”

“There are undoubtedly many men in that room,” the Jaffa said solemnly.

“What if there weren’t.” Daniel was cleaning his glasses on his pants.

“What are you getting at?”

“Once we find the room, I’ll get a bit away and cause a disturbance. You guys hide until most of them have run off, then get inside. I’ll circle back around.” He set his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. “It’ll be tight, but it could work.”

“I’ll do it,” Jack said automatically.

“No you won’t.” The other man pointed to the leader’s injured leg. While the staff blast hadn’t hit him fully, it had left a large area of his skin with third degree burns. That combined with his head wound would slow him down considerably at a run.

“Fine,” he muttered angrily. “You guys ready?” Teal’c dipped his head and they rose from their crouching positions on the floor. “Let’s go, move out!”

                                                                 *

Janet sat on the edge of one of the empty cots in the medical wing, swinging her legs absentmindedly. She still wore a light blue scrub cap over her bunned hair, but she had removed the gown and gloves already. Sergeant Sanders had been rushed in with a staff blast wound to the abdomen and it had taken hours to put him back together. She returned just in time to see Colonel O’neill’s pulse skyrocket as Sam’s continued to slow. The team they sent out after them had returned before getting any intel on their missing officers, due to Sergeant Sanders’ injury. Some deep dark part of her wished they had stayed and found out where her best friend was. Wherever the Major was, she was dying. Jack would do everything in his power to save her, but if they didn’t get help soon nothing he could do would be enough. Her vitals resembled those of every dying patient she had ever had. Many of them were buried six feet under now.

With a sigh Janet rose and made her way down the hall and into the elevator. As it rose she played with a thread on the hem of her shirt. Sam had given it to her for christmas four years ago. It was a tradition for the two of them to swap ugly sweaters along with their actual gift, and Janet had found it at the top of her drawer that morning. She wondered if she would ever get another ugly sweater from her friend.

“Doctor Fraiser,” General Hammond interrupted her thoughts as the elevator doors slid open. “I was just coming to see you.” He turned and they walked side by side down the corridor. “How’s the Sergeant?”

“He’ll live, sir.”

“I got the mission report. They didn’t find anything.”

“They barely had the chance.” She stopped in the middle of the hallway and he turned. “Sir, you can’t give up on them.”

“I was not intending to, Doctor.”

“Yes sir. Sorry.”

“How is the team doing?”

“Teal’c and Daniel seem to be doing alright. The Colonel seems to have been injured, but his vitals have returned to an acceptable range so it can’t have been too severe.”

“And Major Carter?”

“Getting worse, sir.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. We’ll be sending in an airborne probe in the hopes that whoever destroyed the first one won’t be fast enough to get it.”

“And what will you be looking for, sir?”

“Signs of civilization, heat signatures, familiar technology.”

“Sir, SG-1 may have been separated from their GDO transmitter.”

“I realised that, doctor. If they get in contact we will open the iris and have a complete lockdown everywhere except the hall to the infirmary. Once they’ve all had full body scans and examinations I will dismiss the armed guard.”

“Armed? Is that really necessary, sir?”

“If they are Goa’uld, yes,” General Hammond said grimly. “Staff weapon technology points to Goa’uld involvement.”

“Sir, the Tok’ra...Their medical technology is far more advanced than ours.”

“I am aware, doctor. What are you suggesting?”

“Major Carter has been a significant ally of the Tok’ra. They may be willing to share some of their technology in order to save her life.”

“You don’t think you’ll be able to do it yourself?”

“I can’t know, sir. Her vitals only tell me so much, I don’t know the extent of her injuries or what they are. It is possible Earth technology won’t be enough to save her, sir.”

“I can’t risk another team on the Tok’ra homeworld, doctor. They’re all on mission now.”

“I’ll go, sir.”

“Doctor Fraiser, you’re needed here.”

“Respectfully, sir, there are other doctors.” General Hammond sighed. “Please, sir.”

“You understand that I cannot spare any officers to go with you.”

“I do, sir.” He shook his head and sighed again.

“Against my better judgement, I’ll allow it.” Janet’s face broke into a smile.

“Thank you sir!” She took off down the hall towards the gear room.

“I hope you find something,” Hammond muttered to himself.

                                                                     *

Janet stepped out of the stargate and onto the crystal staircase. She was in the Tok’ra’s underground crystal tunnel system, and Tok’ra guards were pointing their weapons at her.

“Janet.” Jacob waved his hand as he entered and the guards lowered their weapons.

“Jacob.” He pulled her into a quick hug. Although Carter hadn’t been able to tell her father about her true job, Janet had been a part of her social life for long enough to have developed a relationship with her father.

“What’s this about?”

“Walk with me?” He nodded and steered her gently down a hallway and away from the suspicious eyes of the other Tok’ra.

“You said it was urgent.”

“It is. SG-1 has been imprisoned on a planet and we don’t know where they are.” Jacob frowned.

“How do you know they’re not where they’re supposed to be?”

“The new Tok’ra vital monitoring system.”

“Ah.” He nodded understandingly. “But I’m not sure how the Tok’ra can help if we can’t get a location.”

“That’s not the problem. SG-1 will have to make their way home on their own, there’s not much else we can do. But their vitals aren’t good.” He stopped and turned to her.

“Sam?”

“I’m not sure if she’ll make it, Jacob. That’s why I’m here.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. She’s dying.”

“And you came to see if the Tok’ra have any healing technology to share.” His head dipped down to his chest, and when he opened his eyes it was Selmak speaking.

“I do not know what assistance you are looking for. The Tok’ra do not share technology.” Janet crossed her arms over her chest.

“Samantha Carter is the reason you’re alive.”

“I am aware. It does not change the Tok’ra policy.”

“A hand healing device? We’ve had those before, we have them at the base. But the only one who can use them is Sam…”

“You wish for a Tok’ra to accompany you back to Earth and remain there until Samantha Carter returns.”

“Yes. It’s not much to ask. The SGC has supplied tens of soldiers to aide you.”

“The process of healing is very draining to the Tok’ra. Not many will be willing.”

It was at that moment that Martouf rounded the corner. He did a double take when he caught sight of Janet, then extended his hand and smiled warmly.

“It is good to see you again, Doctor Fraiser.”

“Martouf, I was just going to ask for you.” Janet looked sideways at Selmak. “Sam is dying, Martouf, and without a healing device and a Tok’ra to use it she won’t make it.” Martouf stiffened and looked to Selmak, who inclined his head.

“What happened to her?”

“She’s trapped on a planet where we can’t reach her and she’s severely injured. If she is able to make it home I might not be able to save her alone.”

“You know that the healing device will not fix her injuries, Doctor. Its main purpose is to sustain life, but the energy required to heal large wounds is beyond any Tok’ra.”

“That’s all I need,” she said imploringly. “If you can keep her alive long enough for us to fix her-- with surgery, or medication, then our medical treatment can do the rest. I just need her to stay breathing long enough to do that.” Martouf looked at Selmak, and then at the doctor.

“I will return to the SGC with you, Doctor Fraiser, and I will keep Samantha Carter alive to the best of my abilities.”

“The Council may not approve,” Selmak said.

“Tell the Council I am visiting Earth to check on the success of our new vital monitoring devices.” Selmak frowned.

“For Sam, Selmak. Please.” He sighed, but nodded.

“I will lie to the Council.” His head fell to his chest again and when he spoke again it was as Jacob. “You save her, you hear?” Janet nodded and gave him a swift hug before turning and retreating to the Stargate. Martouf followed behind her, his hands clasped behind his back.

“What of the others? Colonel O’neill, Daniel Jackson and Teal’c.”

“They’re doing much better than her, though for how long I don’t know. The Colonel seems to have been injured, but not as severely as Sam.”

“Should we not bring another Tok’ra to assist the others?”

“Who?” Martouf fell silent, thinking.

“I do not know.”

“The Council will be suspicious if more than one person goes to check on the progress of the device,” she reasoned as they reached the Stargate. Martouf reached the DHD and started dialing Earth.

“I will require a great deal of rest in order to sustain a life.”

“You can sleep and eat at the SGC. I’ll have anything you need brought to you.” As the wormhole opened, she activated the GDO that had been in her backpack. Martouf nodded to the guards, and together they ascended the staircase and stepped into the gate. The blue water-like waves rippled for a few seconds in their absence, and then vanished. The guards looked at each other, shrugged, and returned to staring absently at the smooth crystal walls.

**  
***


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter. It's nearing the end of the Semester, and as you all know that means tests tests and more tests! I've been swamped. Also, I write mostly at four am, so please excuse any errors. If you notice anything glaring, feel free to point it out (kindly, please) and I'll fix it. I love feedback.

CHAPTER 3

Just as Jack, Teal’c and Sam reached the door to the main room, they heard a loud crash from far away. Daniel yelled something they couldn't make out and guards burst out of the door in front of them. Once they were all gone, Jack crept into the room. Teal’c zatted the two guards who had remained behind, and they quickly locked the door. They had been right in thinking that there were transporter rings in the room. Over in the far wall was a keypad and on the floor next to it the unmistakable gold circle.

“Finally,” Jack muttered. “Set her down there, Teal’c.” The Jaffa carried the blonde over to the rings and laid her gently on the floor. She curled in on herself instinctively, though her eyes didn’t open.

“Where is Daniel Jackson, Colonel O’neill?”

“I dunno. He’s got to be close. Watch the door.” While the Jaffa moved off to the other side of the room, Jack took a better look at their surroundings. It was not much different from the cargo holds on Goa’uld ships he’d been on, except for the absence of crates. In fact, the only supplies in the room seemed to be their backpacks and a heavy black box. He knelt down and opened his pack. “Not good…” Jack noticed immediately that it was far too empty for his liking. He pulled out a shirt, an empty water bottle and a food bar.

“What is it, O’neill?”

“They took our stuff!” The inside zipped pocket where he could usually find gauze, morphine and other medical supplies was empty. “The medicine, the tents…”

“Anything they deemed useful,” Teal’c intoned.

“God dammit!” Jack shoved the scarce few items he found into a backpack--one bag, to carry everything not taken from the four bags in the first place. “We’ve gotta get outta here.”

“Nnng…” he turned to look at Carter. Her eyes were closed but her eyes moved rapidly beneath her eyelids, her fingers twitching restlessly. He couldn’t tell if she was having a nightmare or a fit.

“Teal’c, anything at the door?”

“No.” The Colonel returned to their supplies and his eyes found the black box. Slowly, he lifted the lid, half expecting something to jump out at him. Nothing did. Inside lay a Goa’uld torture device, one of the the rods he remembered so vividly. Jack quickly shut the box and shoved it away, grabbed the backpack and rose to his feet. “Whoa,” he muttered to himself, grabbing the wall for support. He wasn’t doing so well either, and by the palor of Teal’c’s skin and the sweat glistening on his scalp, he wasn’t the only one. The Colonel couldn’t be surprised. They had only had small amounts of food and water, little sleep, and worry did horrible things to the body. “Where the hell is Daniel?” He growled, hoisting the bag onto his back. Just then, someone banged on the door.

“Open up!” Daniel yelled. “Hurry!” Teal’c pressed a few buttons and the door slid open. The archaeologist practically fell inside, and the Jaffa sealed the door behind him.

“Daniel?”

“They’re...crazy!” He panted, clutching a stitch in his side. Upon further inspection Jack realized that Daniel was bleeding heavily from a knife wound.

“Let’s go!” He yelled, grabbing Daniel’s arm firmly and dragging him over to the rings. “Teal’c?”

“Yes, Colonel O’neill,” the Jaffa replied, stepping around them to the control panel. Something slammed into the outside of the door as his fingers flew over the keys. He jumped inside the ring, and they disappeared.

                                                                      *

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jack said, the second they arrived on the surface. The four of them were in the midst of a thick rainforest, complete with mossy ground and birds screeching from the trees. Teal’c picked up the Major and started jogging. Daniel and Jack glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed suit. It was almost an hour later that Daniel finally had to stop. He collapsed to his knees.

“I can’t…”

“Teal’c?”

“There is a cave, O’neill.”

“Give me Carter, you take Daniel.” Teal’c handed Sam to him. Jack didn’t remember her feeling so heavy, but that was his own fatigue talking. He stumbled blindly in the direction Teal’c had pointed, focused only on not falling over or dropping his precious cargo. He made it to the cave before he set her down and fell over himself. Teal’c was right behind him with Daniel, who he set against the cave wall.

“We gotta get...something...to bandage that wound,” he murmured, nodding at Daniel’s side. “Hit...anything vital?”

“I don’t think so,” Daniel said, gritting his teeth. Teal’c glanced from Daniel to Jack to Sam.

“I will return with water, O’neill.” Jack didn’t have the energy to argue, for as Teal’c vanished from sight, his eyelids grew heavy.

                                                                       *

Jack woke to bright sunlight shining in his eyes. He groaned and raised an arm to cover his face.

“Colonel O’neill, I believe that I have found the Stargate.” He raised his head. Teal’c was sitting next to him.

“You look better,” he muttered.

“I have performed kel-no-reem, Colonel O’neill.” Jack sat up all the way, his head spinning. Wordlessly Teal’c handed him the water bottle and he drank gratefully. Daniel’s wound had been bandaged by one of the jackets Sam had been using, and Teal’c had managed to get her into a spare shirt which looked to have been soaked in water.

“How long have I been out?”

“Not long,” Daniel said. “We figured Sam could use some time not being carried and Teal’c managed to get some more water into her.”

“We’re usually the ones taking care of you, big guy,” Jack muttered, rubbing his head. Teal’c inclined his head.

“Indeed.”

“You said something about the stargate?”

“Not far from here there is a path through the woods, O’neill. I did not follow it the entire distance, but I believe it to be the path to the Stargate.”

“And if it isn’t?”

“Than it’s leading somewhere,” Daniel said. “We should go.” The Colonel looked down at his second in command. “Jack,” Daniel said. “She’s not going to last any longer staying here.” He nodded.

“Move out.” They collected their things and crawled out from the shelter of the cave. Even through the trees, the sun was almost blinding and it was as hot as summer. “Do we have any idea what planet we’re on?”

“I don’t think we’ve been here before,” Daniel replied, fixing his glasses. He had one hand resting on his injured side as they walked. “Teal’c didn’t see any signs of civilization.”

“Except for the underground torture chamber,” Jack growled.

“Except for that,” Daniel agreed. “But the transporter rings are deep in the middle of the forest. It’s possible that if anyone lives here, they’re oblivious. The Stargate we came through was in a cave or deep underground, they could be unaware of its existence.”

“And we’re sure that the Stargate isn’t back there with those guys?” Jack said, jerking his head.

“The stone and architecture was different, Jack,” Daniel said. “It’s unlikely that the two would be connected. And they wouldn’t want just anyone coming to the world and dropping right into their facility. It’s gotta be in a separate location.”

“Whatever. I don’t care where the damn thing is, I just want to find it.” They continued walking, following Teal’c. He had created a stretcher from branches and vines, strapped Sam in securely and held the top while letting the bottom and her heels drag. The ground was not uneven, so it did not pose a very rocky ride for her and the new form of transportation allowed her to breathe more freely. “Next time you want to go somewhere, the answer is no,” Jack said to Daniel.

“How is this my fault?”

“They told us it was Goa’uld!”

“And the Chintreen people told us there were ancient ruins there.”

“Yes Daniel,” Jack said patiently. “But you trust your allies, not some people you meet on a planet and spend a day with.”

“Okay, next time we won’t go anywhere,” he said. “But for the record, you hate the Tok’ra.”

“Hate is a strong word. Strongly dislike,” Jack said, crossing his arms.

“Sir?”

“Teal’c, let’s take five.” He lowered the stretcher and Jack knelt down next to her.

“Hey Carter, how you doing?” She licked her dry lips and tilted her head to look at him.

“Well....fresh air’s nice,” she said quietly.

“Yeah?” He glanced up at the trees. “Should be finding that Stargate anytime now.”

“That’d be...nice.” Jack shrugged off the backpack and pulled out the water bottle. He had drained nearly half the water, but she only managed a few sips before raising a hand to push it away.

“About earlier, Sir…”

“Don’t worry about it, Carter.” She looked up at him, searching his eyes for...something.

“What if...I want to?”

“What do you mean?” Daniel and Teal’c, having ‘read the room’ moved off to a respectable distance.

“If it takes dying...to tell you how I…” she coughed weakly and cleared her throat. “I have...put my career over my personal life...since I was a kid. I’ve...never been happy, until I met you.”

“Carter,” he said.

“Let me...let me finish, Sir?” He sighed and nodded. “It sounds cliche...I’m not an unhappy person. But science makes me happy, adventure makes me happy, engineering...all make me happy. People...not so much. You make me happy.” She started coughing again, and he was almost about to panic when her breathing returned to an albeit shallow norm. “I’ve...never risked my career.”

“We risk our careers all the time, Carter. Disobeying orders.”

“It’s not...the same. It’s always...to help someone, always for the right reasons. Maybe just once I’d like...I’d like to do something stupid for myself.”

“Carter, I’m older than you.”

“I know.”

“I’m your commanding officer.”

“I...know.”

“Why would you even want that? I’ve got all sorts of baggage.”

“I do too, Sir. Everyone...does.” He snorted.

“You haven’t got baggage, Carter.”

“Or maybe...I don’t want you to see it.” She lowered her gaze.

“Carter, hey,” he said, taking her chin in his hand. “You’re nothing short of perfect, okay? That’s not the problem.” She bit her lower lip.

“You...do stupid things all the time. Why...why am I the one thing you won’t cross..the line for?”

“That’s not it, Carter, that’s not fair--”

“Do you love me?”

“What?”

“Do you...love me?” He glanced at the others, but they appeared to be deep in conversation.

“Yeah. Yes, Sam, of course I do.”

“Than why?”

“You’re young, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. I can’t ruin your career. I won’t do that to you.” Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to fall.

“But it’s what...I want.”

“It’s what you think you want.”

“I know I want,” she corrected.

“You’ve lost blood, you’re sick, you’re in pain,” he said. “You’re not thinking straight.”

“Maybe...knowing I might die is the only way I can be brave.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“Carter--”

“It’s not worth it, Jack,” she said, his name feeling strange as it tumbled out of her mouth. “It’s not worth it if we have to be alone.”

“The rules, Carter.”

“Screw the rules!” He blinked, surprised. “I’m always following the rules,” she whispered. “Doing everything right. Model student, model cadet...I’ve always been the best, at what I do, I’ve always...been the teacher’s pet. But I want more. I want, just once...to throw it all away and follow my heart.”

“This job--”

“Is everything to me, and you. I’m not saying...we quit, leave. I’m saying we get both.”

“You want to stay in the Air Force and have a secret relationship?”

“Think about it, Sir. General Hammond...would look the other way unless he had no other choice. Even then, Sir...protocol might not be worth breaking up SG-1.”

“This is crazy.”

“I don’t care. If I’m going to die, I want to die knowing the truth. And if I’m not...I want my future to include you.” She reached out and grabbed his hand. Her’s was burning hot, but Jack didn’t care. “What...do you say, Sir?”

“I never could resist ignoring my superior’s orders.” He leaned down and kissed her quickly. When they broke apart, her eyes were half lidded, but she had a smile on her face. Jack could tell that it had taken all her energy to say what she had to say, and that mere willpower had kept her conscious through the exchange. She knew as well as they did that if she didn’t get home soon, she wouldn’t make it. Carter might have been tough, but strength wasn’t going to cut it in her case. “But right now,” he said, laying her hand down gently. “We’ve got to get you home.”

“That sounds...nice, Sir,” she murmured. A few seconds later her breathing slowed and her head rolled to one side as her eyelids slid closed. Jack straightened with a groan and picked up his bag as the others approached.

“What’d she say?” Daniel asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“She wanted to talk about the weather. What do you think, Daniel?” He said condescendingly. Teal’c lifted the stretcher again.

“I guess love really is in the air,” Daniel said with a grin.

**  
***


	4. Note

Hey guys, I'm so sorry it's been so long since posting! It was holiday month and now it's exam months! I PROMISE to post a fantastic chapter as soon as my midterms are over!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read and review!

CHAPTER 4

 

By Jack’s calculations, they had been wandering along the path through the forest for over seven hours. Daniel was trying to hide the fact that he was in pain, and failing miserably at it. The knife must have gone pretty deep because the archaeologist, despite appearances, was pretty tough. Jack found that his limp grew increasingly worse as the day progressed. He had poured water over the burn in his leg, but it had only caused him to curse and grit his teeth. The dust rising with his every footfall probably wasn’t helping much either, infection wise, but there wasn’t much he could do about that. If there was any good news to be had, it was that Sam didn’t seem to be getting worse as fast as she had been below. Maybe it was the absence of torture or the fresh air, but Jack had a feeling that it was because of him, because of what he said. He wanted her, of course he did. He had been in love with her for years. He had told everyone that after his ex wife, after his son, he just wasn’t ready for a relationship of any kind. But it had been a lie. He wasn’t ready for a relationship because he was in love with someone else. A blonde, beautiful scientist who understood and participated in his risky, dangerous lifestyle. A woman who was smarter than him by so much that he wasn’t sure what she was saying half of the time. A woman who could follow his lead even when it was stupid or self destructive, but would put her foot down when he was in the wrong. She was perfect, and he couldn’t have her. 

At least, that’s what he had thought. Never in a million years would Jack have believed that Carter would break such an important rule and hide it from her superiors. She was...well, she had said it already. She was the model officer, unlike him. He honestly wasn’t sure how he made it to Colonel before her because even though they had a difference in age, he had many setbacks in his career. All of which were entirely his fault.

“What’re you thinking about?” Daniel asked. 

“Huh? Nothing,” Jack muttered, taking a sip of water. They had found the water again and refilled a few hours ago, but they were running low again. Teal’c was very good at finding water, though, so he wasn’t worried.

“So Sam.”

“Why are you trying to nose your way into my business?” Jack snapped. He didn’t bother apologizing, they were all on edge.

“Because I care about Sam,” the scientist replied honestly. “And you. But mostly Sam.” Jack rolled his eyes.

“You gonna give me the whole speech about if I mistreat her you’ll kick my ass?”

“Nope,” he fixed his glasses. “If you mistreat her, SHE will kick your ass.”

“True,” he murmured, glancing down at her. She hadn’t been conscious for more than a few minutes at a time all day. Jack found himself periodically checking her pulse, just to make sure it was still there. 

“I just want you to be happy.”

“Are we still discussing this?” Jack groaned, but Daniel shot him a look. “Danny, it’s none of your business.”

“Of course it is. We’re a team, you don’t think something like that would change anything? I’ll change everything.”

“So what are you saying, I should deny Carter her possibly dying wish?”

“No,” Daniel growled. “And she’s not dying.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself,” Jack muttered under his breath.

“I just...I want you to be happy and I don’t want it to change the team.”

“Carter is very good at separating her professional and personal lives.”

“Yeah, because thusfar they haven’t crossed over. If you’re her boyfriend and her boss…” Jack cringed.

“Don’t use that word, boyfriend. It makes us sound like teenagers.”

“I’m just saying, think about it.”

“It won’t change the team,” he said decisively. “We can keep our personal relationships out of our work, like we all do every day. I mean, we get together and play poker and drink beer and watch tv all the time, by any definition of the word we’re good friends but I will still leave your sorry ass if I have to.”

“Thanks, Jack,” Daniel rolled his eyes. “That makes me feel loads better.”

“I’m just saying.”

“So you’re saying that in an emergency, your relationship wouldn’t get in the way?”

“Daniel, I’ve been in love with her for years and I’ve still left her behind when I have to.”

“No, you’ve stayed and nearly died with her for no reason.”

“So it won’t change anything,” Jack pointed out. “Just because it’s, well, whatever.”

“You’re not very good at saying the word ‘relationship’ Jack.”

“Shut up.”

“I know what it’s like to lose people, okay?” The Colonel said. “I know, Daniel. I’ve been doin’ this for a long time. Now maybe I wasn’t in a ‘relationship’ with any of them but they were some of the best damn soldiers and friends I’ve seen and I still did what I had to.”

“I’m sorry, Jack.”

“Don’t be,” he said under his breath, fixing his cap agitatedly. “Carter doesn’t change anything, at least not from how it already is.”

“O’neill,” Teal’c said, speaking for the first time in over an hour. “If you treat Major Carter with disrespect and she is somehow unable to defend herself, I will kick your ‘ass’,” he said calmly. Daniel and Jack both stared at the back of the Jaffa’s head. “Respectfully,” he added unnecessarily. Daniel burst out laughing but quickly stopped at the pain in his side.

“Thanks buddy. Good to know you’re looking out for her.”

“Indeed, O’neill.” The Jaffa inclined his head.

 

After that, the conversation turned to lighter things. None of them wanted to talk about the fact that the path seemed to be never ending, or that Sam was about as pale as a sheet of paper, so they talked of sports and food, drinks, television and when it came down to it, base gossip. They circled all the bases and found themselves walking in silence as darkness fell around them. The trees were thinning.

“I believe we are reaching the edge of the forest, O’neill,” Teal’c said, squinting into the darkness.

“Yeah, I hope so. But it’s getting pretty late, I say we hole up for a few hours until there’s light so we don’t end up walking into an ambush. Who knows if there’ll be any cover beyond the trees.”

“Indeed,” they could almost hear him incline his head. Teal’c led them off the edge of the trail and several yards into the trees before laying the Major down and sitting as well. The others joined him, eager to rest their legs. Daniel was pretty sure if he walked any further they would fall off entirely. 

“Stars are nice,” he commented.

“They look strange,” Sam said slowly, drawing their attention. “We’ve been...on so many planets at night, yet...the sky always looks wrong when I’m not on Earth. Not...bad, just perplexing. So many...stars the world knows nothing about.”

“How are you doing, Sam?” Daniel asked.

“I’ve been better,” she murmured, grimacing. “You?”

“I’m fine, Sam.”

“Something about...pain, is that it makes you blurrier or sharper. I can...hear your breathing as if you were right next to my ear.”

“My side hurts, but it’ll be fine,” he corrected himself. “And so will you.”

“You don’t need to...do that. Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You aren’t...confident that I’ll be...okay. You don’t know it...for sure. It’s just what you want.”

“Sam, stop rooting against yourself,” he said, a hint of anger in his tone. “You’re gonna make it even if I have to do CPR all the way from here to the gate, got it? You’re not dying.” She was silent for so long he thought that she had fallen asleep.

“Ok.” Her voice was small, defeated. “I’m going to...sleep now.”

“Okay, Sam,” he said soothingly. Jack reached out and brushed a hand through her hair. She caught it and interlaced her fingers with his. Teal’c crossed his legs and fell into a state of kel-no-reem, while the other three drifted off to sleep.

 

                                                                            *

“Sir?” Sam opened one eye, and was surprised to find that no bright sun was blinding her. 

“We made it, Carter,” he said excitedly. “This is it, this is where the Stargate is. It’s just down there, ok? We’re going home.” A smile spread across her face.

“Home.”

“Yeah, Carter. And Janet’s gonna patch you up and you’ll be good to go in no time, okay?”

“No time…” she echoed, her gaze slightly unfocused.

“Sam?” He asked, leaning over her.

“I don’t feel...so hot.” He rested a hand against her forehead and pulled open her eyes before calling over to the others.

“How’s that gate coming?”

“We’ve almost got it!” Daniel said. “It’s dialing slow, like the Earth computer.” He looked back down at his second in command and quickly knelt over her, grabbing her neck and holding it steady.

“Carter’s seizing get the damn wormhole open!” He yelled. At that moment the wormhole engaged, a floor of blue spilling out before returning to the gate. Jack raised his walkie.

“General Hammond, this is Colonel Jack O’neill.”

“We hear you Colonel.”

“We lost our GDO but sir, Carter needs to come home right now.”

“We know, Colonel. We’ve opened the iris.” 

“You...oh, the chips,” Jack muttered. “I forgot.” He looked over to the rest of his team. “Go!” Teal’c helped Daniel, who had deteriorated significantly during the night, through the gate. Jack waited until Sam had stopped seizing to pick her up, cradling her in his arms. He walked very carefully across the rocky ground towards the Stargate, climbing up the stone steps. He gave one last look at the planet, the cold stone walls and the distant speck of light that was the opening. “Adios, assholes.” He stepped through the gate.

 

                                                                         *

Janet and Martouf were waiting on the other side. Daniel was already gone, accompanied by several medics. Teal’c helped Jack lower the blonde onto the bed and the four of them, followed by four armed guards, ran off down the hall and caught the next elevator going down. It was a sign of how bad Sam’s condition was that Janet didn’t so much as look at Jack’s leg. 

“Sam honey? Can you talk to me?”

“Janet,” she mumbled, only able to open her eyes a fraction of an inch.

“It’s me. We’re going to get you into surgery now, okay?”

“Martouf?”

“It is I, Samantha,” the Tok’ra said softly. “I have come to aide Doctor Fraiser.”

“How’s dad?”

“Your father is doing well, though he and Selmak are concerned for your well being.” The elevator doors opened.

“Colonel, the infirmary. The medics there will patch you up and get some scans to make sure you’re who you say you are. I’ve got to take Sam to surgery right now.” He started to protest, but stopped with a single look from the petite doctor. She didn’t look like much, but she could stop a man in his tracks with that glare.

“You’ll update us?”

“Yes, go!” He and Teal’c continued on down the hallway while Janet, Martouf and one of the guards disappeared through a doorway and the other two followed them. Daniel was shirtless and laying on his side while a redheaded man cleaned the knife wound in his side. Jack was quickly ushered to the next bed, where his pants were unceremoniously ripped off to better see the extent of the staff blast. Teal’c sat on the edge of another cot while a timid nurse took his blood. Because of his symbiote Teal’c could not be possessed by a Goa’uld, and junior also healed any offworld infections or minor injuries they tested for in the others. The blood draw was to be safe, more than anything. Few diseases were resistant to the symbiote’s healing powers.

“Where’s Sam?” Daniel asked, gritting his teeth as the man dabbed the wound.

“Surgery, yow! Watch it!” Jack yelped, glaring at the small nurse who was cleaning his wound so vigorously he could feel his skin coming off. She merely rolled her eyes and continued what she was doing while another nurse drew his blood, hooked him up to an IV and got to work on his head wound and broken nose. Teal’c watched, unamused, as two of his teammates were treated. 

 

An hour or so later Daniel and Jack were both lying in their beds, wearing gowns that they had both refused, and hooked up to IV’s that they both insisted were pointless. The doctors were having none of it. After proving that they were indeed human and Goa’uld free, the guards had vanished. Teal’c had wandered off the the observation room of Sam’s surgery, and returned with the message that they were ‘not to move a muscle from those beds until she was finished.’”

“How’s Sam?”

“There was a lot of blood.”

“Yeah, but that’s surgery, it’s always like that,” Daniel said, slightly paler. “What did Janet say?”

“She said to get out of her observation deck.”

“Did she look nervous? Relieved? Scared?”

“She was wearing a mask, Daniel Jackson, it was difficult to discern.”

“Martouf was there?”

“He was using the healing device on Major Carter,” the Jaffa inclined his head.

“But Sam was okay, right?”

“I have already informed you of Major Carter’s condition and my lack of knowledge,” Teal’c said patiently. “Doctor Fraiser suggested that you and the Colonel sleep and not worry.”

“How are we supposed to sleep with Sam in surgery?” One of the nurses rolled her eyes and went back to what she was doing.

“She informed me that Major Carter’s surgery will, at best, take several more hours. You should rest, in order to heal more quickly. Doctor Fraiser will undoubtedly require improvement in your condition before allowing you to see Major Carter.” Jack scowled, crossing his arms.

“Go back up there and get us some real information.”

“I will not, O’neill. I too believe that you and Daniel Jackson require rest.”

“How are we supposed to rest when the best you can give us on Sam is that she’s alive?” Daniel questioned. “I can’t sleep! What if she dies? What if there’s a complication?”

“You being asleep will not prevent either of those things from occurring, Daniel Jackson. The best thing for Major Carter would be to regain your strength in order to be there for her when she is out of surgery.” Daniel opened his mouth. “Doctor Fraiser will not allow you or Colonel O’neill access to Major Carter before you rest. The sooner you do so, the sooner you will be allowed to see her.”

“Fine,” Daniel muttered angrily. One of the nurses had taken his glasses.

“But you’ll keep an eye on her and wake us if anything changes?” Jack asked. Teal’c inclined his head.

“Indeed I will, O’neill.” The two bedridden members of SG-1 looked at each other. Neither wanted to sleep, but Janet wouldn’t let them in to see Sam without first taking care of themselves.

“Alright, alright,” Jack growled. The nurses, who had been lurking behind Teal’c, approached with needles.

“You were going to drug us either way, weren’t you?” Daniel asked. The lady just smiled sweetly and injected a clear liquid into his IV port while her coworker did the same with Colonel O’neill. They were asleep within a minute.

“Thanks,” the dark haired nurse told Teal’c, resting her hand on his arm. “They’re a pain to treat.”

“Indeed.”

“We all argue over who has to,” she continued. “And you always make the job easier on us. So thanks. If you ever need anything, you’ll know where to find me.” She walked off, leaving Teal’c standing at the end of Colonel O’neill’s bed, looking slightly confused. Had either of his colleagues been awake, they would have told him that the nurse had been hitting on him. As it was, Teal’c walked away none the wiser. 

 

                                                                        *

Sam’s eyes blinked open slowly. The lights above her were bright, too bright to be the sun….was she home?

“Hey sweetie.” That was definitely Janet’s voice. Sam raised her head slowly, her gaze finding Janet. The petite doctor looked exhausted. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, her hair was frizzy and her clothes were rumpled as if she hadn’t gone home and changed for a while. Her elbow was resting on the end of the bed and her chin was planted firmly in her hand, but she looked up when Sam met her gaze. “How are you feeling?” Sam glanced down at herself. She was covered by a blanket, a soft pillow behind her head. She felt as if she were floating on a cloud.

“Tired,” she admitted. 

“That’s normal. You’ve had a long few days.”

“Looks like you have too, Janet,” she said softly. The doctor rose to her feet and picked up a plastic glass of water, holding the straw up to her friend’s mouth. Sam sipped at it gratefully.

“I was worried about you.” Janet gave her a rueful smile, dragging her stool close and taking a seat again. 

“Sorry,” she murmured, a small smile gracing her chapped lips. “How am I...doing?”

“You broke three ribs and fractured two others,” Janet pulled her hair from its but and ran her fingers through it. “You were bleeding internally from your stomach and intestines, but we fixed that up for you. We had to crack your chest when you arrested,” she said tiredly. “Luckily your dislocated shoulder didn’t cause any permanent damage. The infection is losing the battle to our drugs, so that’s good. I stitched the Goa’uld carving wounds so they hopefully won’t scar, but I’m not optimistic about the lacerations, I think they’ll leave marks. We bandaged up the wounds around your wrists and ankles, stitched the cut on your face.” Janet rested her head on the edge of the bed and Sam stroked her hair.

“You saved me, Janet.”

“You’ll be scarred. We cut you from sternum to pelvis.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. Scars don’t matter.”

“I was really worried about you,” the doctor mumbled into the blanket.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, I’m just glad you’re going to be okay.” She sat up and took Sam’s hand, squeezing gently. “Martouf is in a coma, but he’s going to be okay.”

“Martouf?”

“He used the healing device while we performed surgery. I don’t think you’d be alive without it.” 

“He’s going to be okay?”

“His body just needs to heal, it uses a lot of energy. He said, though, that you should be able to use it in small doses on yourself to heal more quickly, and we’ll have your team take you to the Tok’ra, they can help.”

“How long will I be off active duty?”

“I’m not sure, with this Tok’ra technology...normally several months, but it could be just a few weeks, depending. I’ve only seen it used on very superficial wounds, but it helped a lot in surgery. It’s your shoulder and bones that need to heal, but we cut your whole rib cage in half. I’m not sure how well the device works on bones.”

“Thank you Janet.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“I know, but I’m just really grateful to be alive.”

“Even with the pain?” Janet glanced at the morphine box.

“Even...with the pain. It’s not dying pain, you know?” She winced. “It’s living pain, and after the trip I’ve had...it’s good to feel alive, even if it’s painful.” Janet nodded in understanding. “What about the others?”

“The Colonel and Daniel are passed out in the infirmary. We’ve got to keep you here, in isolation until the risk of infection isn’t so big. Teal’c went back to his room to perform kel-no-reem.”

“Daniel and the Colonel are going to be okay?”

“They’ll both be off active duty for two weeks at least, so you won’t be alone.” Janet rose to her feet, wiping her palms on her sweater. “I’m going to let you rest and get some sleep myself.” Sam nodded, and Janet departed. Sam’s head rolled slowly to the side as she sighed, raising her fingers to her lips. Sam could still feel the ghost of the Colonel’s lips against hers.

“I won’t be alone…” she murmured softly.

  
                                                                        *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long deserved chapter. I'm planning on posting several more during the next few weeks. Don't worry, the action isn't over! I'm thinking of making it sort of a continuing story, where there will be more offworld adventures but following these events and with Sam and Jack together...what do you guys think?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the writing gap. Personal shit went down.

CHAPTER 6

Six days later Sam was lying on the cold smooth surface of one of the Tok’ra’s crystal platforms, wearing only her underclothes. The others were sitting in chairs around her. They had only just that morning deemed her stable enough to be taken through the Stargate to the Tok’ra homeworld, where she could heal. Martouf was standing over her with the healing device glowing softly. He and a few other Tok’ra had been taking turns working on healing her broken bones for several hours.  
“How’re you doing, Carter?” Jack asked, resting his elbow on the edge of her ‘bed’ and placing his chin in his hand. Sam’s father had insisted on using the device on both him and Daniel a few days prior, so they were both looking much better.  
“Fine sir,” she murmured tiredly.  
“Hey Martouf, how many more hours of this would it take to heal her?” Jack asked.  
“The bones have begun to mend. Late tomorrow they should be healed though tender, assuming we can continue to heal her ourselves.” She was using her arm again, thanks to the the healing from the Tok’ra, and soon she would be back to her old self. Martouf had healed her face, so there would be no marks from their trip. They simply didn’t have the time or energy to heal her entirely--only a few were willing to participate, and the bone healing itself was severely draining. Sam had assured Martouf and her father that whatever help they provided was appreciated, and that as long as she could get back to active duty, it was fine. They had gone so far as to heal the open wounds into thick raised scars, some of which would fade entirely on their own while others would leave permanent marks. Either way, she would be able to go back to work, and that was the only thing Sam cared about.  
“That would be if the device was used on her continuously for over 24 hours?”  
“Yes.”  
“Yikes.”  
“It’s alright sir.”  
“I don’t understand how you’re not bored out of your skull.”  
“Laying here is sort like sleeping, sir,” she replied. “And why aren’t you bored?”  
“Uh.” He shrugged. “I’m easily distracted.” Daniel chuckled from his seat behind him and Jack shot him a look that could kill.  
“So Dr. Jackson,” Martouf said casually. “Have you managed to gain insight into the culture of those who imprisoned you on P3X-544?”  
“I don’t have much to go off of,” Daniel said honestly. “The use of Goa’uld narrows things down only marginally. Thousands of planets have been conquered by the Goa’uld.”  
“And Hammond is refusing to let us take a team back there,” the Colonel growled.  
“Major Carter barely escaped that planet with her life, O’neill,” Teal’c reminded him. “General Hammond must put the lives of his people above revenge.”  
“Whatever.”  
“Sir, it’s alright,” Sam said.  
“Carter, don’t even get me started,” the Colonel muttered. “They tortured you.”  
“And now the address has been blocked from our system and they won’t bother us again.”  
“And what if some other group of people wanders onto that planet? What happens then, Carter?”  
She fell silent, pursing her lips. “Sorry,” he added.  
“I know you’re angry Sir.”  
“Damn right.”  
“But I’m alive. We’re all alive. Isn’t that enough?” She peered up at him, a few stray strands of blonde hair falling in those crystal blue eyes. He felt the urge to brush them away, but resisted.  
“Yes,” he said resignedly. “It’s enough.”  
“And you’re sure you’re okay to go back to work, Sam?” Daniel asked cautiously. “Maybe you should take some time off.”  
“Daniel,” she said, her gaze falling on him. “I’m fine. It’s not something that hasn’t happened to us before or won’t happen again. I don’t need time. I want to be back out there. This is what I signed up for, this is what I want to do. I’m willing to pay the price.”  
“Do you know how scary it is to see you like that?” He asked.  
“You of all people shouldn’t be asking that,” Jack cut in. “For the only one of us not specifically trained in combat, you sure die a lot Danny.”  
“Pure chance,” the archaeologist muttered, turning slightly pink.  
“You are not cautious, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c said. “You take unnecessary risks.”  
“Since when did this become about me?” Daniel scowled. “Sam’s the one who nearly died.”  
“This time,” Jack said darkly.  
“Go ahead, curse me,” he muttered. “I don’t care, Jack.” Sam turned her head so she was looking up at the ceiling again.  
“You okay, Carter?”  
“Yes Sir.” A slight smile curled her lips. “I just like the sound of you two bickering.”

*  
“Er, Carter?”  
“Yes Sir?”  
“May I come in?”  
“Of course.” The door slid open and Jack poked his head inside, hands stuffed in his pockets. He glanced around and whistled.  
“Your room is cooler than ours.”  
“My dad,” she said simply. Sam was sitting cross legged on a bed in a room made entirely of the same crystals that made up many Tok’ra bases.  
“They’ve got us staying in tiny rooms. Still cool though, what with the crystals.” He waved his hand around unnecessarily.  
“Would you like to sit down, Sir?”  
“Sure.” He took a seat on the bed next to her, close but not close enough to be touching. “How are you feeling, Carter?”  
“Better, Martouf says we should be able to head home tomorrow. I’ll be ready for our next mission the day after.”  
“Let’s hope this planet is more friendly.”  
“Friendly rarely seems to help, though, Sir,” she pointed out. “Cold and distant--those are the real winners.”  
“True.” He rolled his shoulders. “MALP revealed warm weather. Gonna work on your tan, Major?” She flashed a smile.  
“I guess so, Sir.” They lapsed into silence. Sam played with a small pebble and Jack watched, mesmerized.  
“So…” She looked up at him through her lashes and he felt his heart flutter. “Carter, are you sure this is…”  
“It is,” she cut him off. “It’s what I want.”  
“I’m older than you are.”  
“I know.”  
“If anyone at work found out we could be reassigned or discharged.”  
“I know that.”  
“I don’t want kids.”  
“Neither do I.” That made him pause. Jack stared at her, confused. “I like kids. I love Cassandra...But I want to do this, do this job without worrying about leaving a child behind. I will go through the Stargate until they stop me, sir. It’s just not fair to do that to a kid, every time I risk my life.”  
“You would be a great mother.”  
“Maybe. But I could be great at so many other things.”  
“Could we have a dog?” He asked. Sam’s smile grew.  
“We can have a dog.” Jack smile grew and then faded as he turned to her, taking one of her hands in his.  
“Carter...Sam. I’m too old to mess around. I’d accepted that I’d never find someone to be with, forever, until I met you. And then I had to convince myself again because of everything between us...Just, I’m not looking to play games here.”  
“You think I am?”  
“No, I just…”  
“Jack,” she said softly. “I have been in love with you for years. I’ve seen you hurt, angry, sad...We’ve gone to hell and back together, literally.” That got a smile out of him. “I don’t want to play around with you. This is real, this is serious. I’m not risking my career to go on a date. I want to be with you, I want to be able to love you. I want to wake up next to you, I want to grow old with you.” She tilted her head at him. “I know you, Jack. I’ve known you for years. I know what you like and what makes you happy, I know how you take your coffee and what you listen to on the road.” She reached out and stroked a hand over his cheek. “I’ve seen you in fights, I’ve watched you go in knowing you wouldn’t come out. You are brave, and strong, and smart…” He relaxed slightly into her touch. “I want you.” Sam scooted a little closer to him on the bed and pressed her lips against his. Jack’s hands went automatically to her waist and pulled her closer, his tongue exploring her mouth as her fingers trailed over the nape of his neck. She had a tiny chip in her tooth, smooth and sharp like the blade of a knife. Her lips were soft, though he could still feel the rough edges where they had been torn. And her warmth pressing against him, the way just the tips of her fingers could send electricity through his entire body...it was all he had dreamed.

When they broke apart a few minutes later, Sam was practically sitting on his lap. He was hungry for her after years of waiting, but they both knew it was a bad idea to start anything on another world, especially as all of her injuries were not yet healed. Despite his body screaming protests, he tucked her in and left. When he reached his room, Jack stopped outside the door and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. It was only after he was positively mellowed out that he entered.  
“How was Sam?” Daniel asked.  
“I never said I was going to see her.” Jack crossed to his bed and started undressing. Teal’c and Daniel had already crawled beneath the oddly woven blankets in their own beds.  
“But it was, wasn’t it?”  
“She was tired. She fell asleep pretty easily.”  
“Mhm.”  
“Don’t do that, Daniel,” the Colonel scowled as he climbed into bed. “Don’t give me that condescending noise.”  
“I didn’t do anything,” Jackson said innocently, removing his glasses.  
“Whatever. Get some sleep.”  
“Sweet dreams, Jack,” Daniel murmured. If the archaeologist had been close enough to smack, Jack would have done so.  
*

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if I'm going to continue this. If you read and want a continue, comment and I will!


End file.
